KSR ARCHITECTS IN BARCELONA

This year the whole team went to Barcelona, Spain for the KSR Architects annual office trip. We visited three fantastic buildings not normally found on the typical Barcelona tour itinerary: Biblioteca Camp de l’Arpa-Caterina Albert (Oliveras Boix Arquitects), Museo de Can Framis (Jordi Badia + Jordi Framis) and UPF Biblioteca (Lluís Clotet + Ignacio Paricio). The latter building in particular was a great experience, as the group had the pleasure of appreciating the former water tower labyrinth of towering arches and barrel vaults, as seen in the far right of the below images.

During the tour we also learnt about the gridded city concept; where the city block includes chamfered edges to broaden the intersections between buildings whilst maximising sunlight and transportation movement. Following the architectural tour, it was time to relax and enjoy a delicious lunch at Cal Pinxo on the waterfront, and soak up the warm Spanish sunshine.

Many of us stayed for the weekend visiting the Sagrada Familia and the Barcelona Pavilion, and hiring bikes to explore the beachfront bike paths and sights of the old town.

Although we loved the architecture, the delicious tapas served up at the bars and restaurants – in particular the tiny Quimet & Quimet – was a highlight. Next year’s KSR Architects trip will be a hard one to top!